BETTI - Better governance for trustworthy AI
Cluster of Mechatronics and Automation participates in the BETTI – Better governance for trustworthy AI project to support regional and municipal administration in the introduction and use of trustworthy and transparent artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
The BETTI project addresses the challenges and opportunities of the rapid emergence of generative artificial intelligence (GEN AI) across different territorial levels, supporting local and regional public authorities in responsibly integrating it into territorial strategies, in line with EU standards for trustworthy AI. It is funded under the INTERREG Europe 2021–2027 programme and co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
While GEN AI opens up new possibilities for the development of smart cities and regions, it also raises complex ethical and governance challenges. To ensure these technologies contribute positively to the public interest and to environmental and social well-being, urgent governance measures are required. GEN AI must be developed and deployed in line with fundamental principles such as human agency and oversight, technical robustness and safety, privacy and data protection, fairness and non-discrimination, and transparency and accountability.
Public trust in AI systems depends on their alignment with these core values. Therefore, it crucial to strengthen the capacity of local and regional public authorities to perceive and manage GEN AI responsibly. These authorities must be provided with the necessary knowledge, tools and guidance to mitigate the risks associated with GEN AI use and to maximise its potential for innovation and societal benefit.
BETTI plays a pivotal role in this context. The project brings together 10 partners from EU Member States and Candidate Countries with varying levels of AI maturity. Together, they share experiences and co-develop policy solutions to help public authorities deploy GEN AI effectively and ethically. Through this collaboration, BETTI supports the creation of robust governance frameworks, implementation of best practices, and responsible innovation across European regions.
BETTI builds on the EU High-Level Expert Group’s Guidelines for Trustworthy AI, integrating them with the practical experiences of participating regions. Through interregional exchange, project partners share current governance approaches, identify critical gaps, and define the standards needed to responsibly manage AI in real-world urban and regional settings.
A core component of BETTI is the testing of a self-assessment tool designed to evaluate six policy instruments. The tool assesses how well these instruments align with key principles such as transparency, fairness, safety, and accountability in the context of AI deployment and governance.
In pursuit of its main objective—to support public authorities in unlocking the benefits of generative AI through the implementation of governance standards and trustworthy AI measures—BETTI also defines a set of specific objectives:
– Identify existing governance practices for Trustworthy AI across different territorial sizes.
– Determine gaps in achieving minimum governance standards and how needs vary by sector.
– Translate interregional learning into practical governance improvements in each territory.
– Integrate governance tools and standards into regional policy instruments.
– Consolidate and monitor policy changes promoting ethical AI adoption in smart cities and regions.
The main target groups of BETTI in the partner regions include public authorities, both regional and intergovernmental, as well as innovation and business support organisations, academic and research institutions, civil society and ethics bodies, businesses and industry, thematic clusters such as those in ICT, health, and biotech, and education and youth stakeholders. In its broader communication efforts, BETTI also aims to reach citizens and professionals involved in the development, use, and deployment of smart technologies and services.
BETTI project partners are as follows:
– CISE – Centre for Innovation and Economic Development (Italy)
– Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy)
– Province of South Holland (Netherlands)
– Ile-de-France Region (France)
– West Regional Development Agency (Romania)
– Development Programming Institute of Federation BiH (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
– City of Jyvaskyla (Finland)
– Tallinn Strategic Management Office (Estonia)
– Cluster of Mechatronics and Automation (Bulgaria)
– Municipality of Kazanlak (Bulgaria)
The project has a duration of 4 years from 01.05.2025 to 31.07.2029 and a total budget of 2,380,534 EUR.
By the end of the project, BETTI partners will have strengthened their capacities and developed concrete tools to shape policies that ensure AI is ethically sound and aligned with public values in their regions—all in coherence with the European Digital Strategy, the EU AI Act, and the Coordinated Plan on AI.
Website of the BETTI project: https://www.interregeurope.eu/betti
Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/betti-project
Contacts: cma@cluster-mechatronics-automation.com
#BETTIInterreg #InterregEurope #TrustworthyAI
